“Probably the silliest contract extension I’ve seen”: Cornes reacts to Thilthorpe’s new deal

Kane Cornes can’t understand Riley Thilthorpe’s decision to sign a contract extension with Adelaide.

It was announced on Monday that the 22-year-old – who was already contracted for 2025 – has now committed at West Lakes until the end of the 2028 season.

As he already had a deal for next season, Cornes thinks that Thilthorpe should have held out on signing a new deal to increase his financial value as he believes that the former No. 2 pick is about to explode after kicking 15 goals from seven games in 2024.

“Can I just say something on this? This is probably the silliest contract extension I've seen since Harry Sheezel extended his contract,” Cornes said on SEN Sportsday.

“It's a further three years, and that (comment) is not at the club, that’s at Riley.

“He is a $1.5 million (a season) player if he could just put together 15 to 18 games of what he produced at the back end of this year.

“Now, I don't know. what he's getting and what protection he's got in terms of incentives … I would hope that he’s got that many incentives for goals kicked, games played, best and fairests … all of that.

“Otherwise, he could have cost himself.”

Thilthorpe missed much of the 2024 season as he suffered a torn meniscus on the eve of the campaign in March.

He kicked a goal in every game he played in last season and kicked multiple goals in six of his seven appearances.